Steel Ice Center in Bethlehem to Open Pub (ICE SKATES AND ALCOHOL)

Not sure if this is a good idea, awful idea, or great idea.

If you’re not familiar, the Steel Ice Center resides near the Artsquest Center and it has ice in it and it was part of the steel plant a million years ago.

Basically, you can go there to skate or have your kids be taught how to skate or play in some organized skating stuff.

Now you’ll be able to do that while also drinking.

Steel Ice Center, the first entertainment venue to open at the former Bethlehem Steel plant, is now planning to add a bar and outdoor patio in time for Musikfest.

City documents show the owners are reconstructing 3,124 square feet of the two-rink business to accommodate a bar, kitchen and 93 seats. Another 132 seats would be arranged on a new 2,071-square-foot patio with panoramic views of the looming blast furnaces overlooking the year-old SteelStacks campus.

The restaurant is seeking an intermunicipal transfer of a liquor license from the shuttered Fuglee’s in Easton. The city building permit indicates the project is valued at $151,000. That doesn’t include costs for improvements such as plumbing.

Originally known as the Flyers SkateZone, the 64,000-square-foot attraction that is now the Steel Ice Center opened in 2003 with two full-size hockey rinks, a snack bar, a fitness center, locker rooms, party rooms and a pro shop on a 3.6-acre lot along the Lehigh River. SOURCE: The Morning Call

Besides the obvious jokes regarding how awful of an idea it would be to ice skate while drunk… I’m leaning toward this being a medium good idea.

I’m just curious who is going to drink there. Sure, the dads who are bringing there kids there could responsibly have a beer while he waits for them to finish. But, do you really think people are going to just GO there to drink?

I guess that depends on what type of entertainment they could be offering or if the bar itself has some super awesome niche factor to it that would set it apart from some other bars in the area.

I’d definitely try it out, that’s for sure. 

Give us your best dirty joke and you could win two tickets to see Bob Saget at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on July 7!